Banff Lake Louise / Mountain restaurants

Lake Louise has four day lodges but the emphasis is on utilitarian rather than alluring. Having said that, at the base of the mountain in the beautiful log-built Lodge of the Ten Peaks you’ll find the family-friendly Powderkeg Lounge and a cozy atmosphere. There’s also a cafeteria here.

At Whiskyjack Lodge, the Northface Restaurant serves up breakfasts and lunch, and there is also a cafeteria but not much else. Mid-mountain front side has the Whitehorn Lodge cafeteria, while Temple Lodge serves the Back Bowls, Ptarmigan, and Larch areas with a cafeteria and an attractive outdoor terrace. The Great Bear Room, also in Temple Lodge, is probably the best full-service restaurant, with prime Alberta beef.

The choice at the smaller resorts is fairly limited too. Sunshine Village has eight places in which to re-fuel with Mad Trapper’s as the place for lunch. The Sunshine Day Lodge has reputedly one of the best cafeterias going and upstairs a very fine dining room. The Alpine Grill and the Chimney Corner Lodge both serve reasonably priced pasta and plenty of it.

At Ski Banff at Norquay you can take your pick from the Timberline Lodge’s steak house, or Cascade Lodge’s mid-price deli and cafeteria, or its upstairs Lone Pine Pub-with-restaurant. The latter is affordable and attractive with good food and views.